Chapter Four: Sorcerer

Oh man! My theory went to waste. I thought something else but I'm really happy that it was wrong. Strong season with banger episodes. NGL, I was not a fan of last season, felt a bit boring with stretchy stories and I was worried about this season to be like that but noooooo. This season hasn't disappointed at all. Story felt strong and it's moving just right speed and thrils. One more month.....

Three years. Three long years since the screen went dark, leaving us stranded on a precipice of expectation. The wait for this return felt eternal, but after watching this single, epoch-defining episode, I can declare without hesitation: It was worth every agonizing second. This wasn't just a season opener; it was a cultural event, a breathtaking demonstration of cinematic storytelling firing on all cylinders.

From a technical standpoint, the episode was flawless. The CGI and visual effects have clearly benefited from the extended development time, offering seamless, breathtaking vistas and action sequences that redefine the limits of television production. Every frame felt like a million-dollar movie moment. Paired with this visual feast was the masterful score, which didn't just accompany the action-it dictated the emotional tempo. The music swelled, whispered, and built intensely exactly when needed, elevating moments of quiet dread and monumental triumph alike.

But the true, unforgettable highlight, the element that will be discussed in fan forums for years to come, was the Plot. Oh my god, the narrative arc of this episode was nothing short of a singularity!

The writers took masterful control of the pace, beginning with a seemingly straightforward escalation of the conflict we knew. We were prepared for a difficult but predictable confrontation. Yet, just as the tension reached its breaking point, and the impossible odds seemed set in stone, the entire script flipped. The genius lies in the misdirection: the realization of the stakes was delayed and then violently delivered. The final thirty minutes were a dizzying, white-knuckle freefall through revelations and reversals. The moment the truly hidden variable-the unexpected twist-made its terrifying, calculated move, I genuinely gasped. This wasn't a twist for shock value; it was a deeply planted narrative bomb that finally detonated, instantly rewriting the history and destiny of every character and the entire world they inhabit. It's exhilarating, heartbreaking, and proof that long-form storytelling can achieve genuine, gut-punching genius.

This episode is a monument to patience and persistence, proving that good things-no, legendary things-come to those who wait. It is an instant classic and the new standard against which all future episodes will be judged.

This series took entirely too long to get to S5, but this episode was basically an entire movie.

Prior to S7, the Game of Thrones showrunners promised that the final 2 shortened seasons of the show would be worth it, as every episode would be bigger, longer & basically like their own movies. No, plenty of episodes were still 45 - 50 mins, and many episodes felt like they were rushing to the end.

This is the complete opposite of that. S5 of Stranger Things is doing what I wanted GoT to do. It's steadily ramping up to the conclusion, while still delivering on the smaller, more personal character moments. It hasn't just devolved into some third act Marvel VFX spectacle, though we've got some of that too.

There's still mysteries to uncover, there's still the Hawkins crew vs the dumb military & scientists. They've even managed to make the Demigorgons scary again. It's not all Vecna or Mind Flayer stuff. They're letting the smaller moments cook while building towards the conclusion.

Yes, there's still plenty of CGI & action, but it's all serving the plot. I'm just impressed this final episode of the first batch of episodes managed to be nearly an hour & a half of pure cinema.

It's a shame that this is one of the last great Netflix shows from the era when they cared more about quality originals over mass produced, algorithm-driven "content." Gone are the days of House of Cards, Travelers, Mind Hunter, The OA, Orange is the new Black, Dark, Altered Carbon (S1), etc.

And when the finale of this ends, it'll be the end of an era. At least they've managed to keep up this show's quality so far. If the finale is as good as this mid-season episode, this will go down as one of the best sci-fi series ever.

I couldn't be happier about how great this final season of my favorite show is turning out. Every moment of these first four episodes was well-thought. I loved how they immediately got into action and followed-up with season 4's ending. Unlike season 3 which took like four episodes to take shape.

I think the Duffer Brothers have been doing a lot of research! They have fixed several problems of the previous seasons. After season 1, Demogorgans, were not that scary. Here, they are once again vicious and terrifying and actually do damage. During seasons 3 and 4, Mike had become an annoying and unlikable character. They have carefully fixed that too, in only four episodes. Also, Will became less and less important throughout the show. He clearly had a connection with the upside down so pushing him aside seemed wrong. Not only they fixed that, they took it to the next level and finally gave him what he so deserved. These are many more improvements in this season.

The Duffer Brothers also seem to have learned from other shows and movies. They are doing what GoT failed to do. THEY ARE DELIVERING! Every episode gives you something without being rushed or slow. They do feel like a movie on their own. In the mean time, they are very coherent and cohesive. You can actually see them as one great movie. Everything works perfectly in-sync. In fact, considering how the story moves forward and what it leads to in the end, it reminded me of Avengers: Infinity War. I want this to be spoiler free, so if you've seen both, you know what I mean.

Anyway, after these 4 episodes I really have high hopes for the finale of the show. I wish for something big that would be talked about for years. It really has the potential for it.

Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 opens with a feeling that most long-running shows can only dream of creating. The return to Hawkins feels personal, almost quiet in its nostalgia, like visiting a place you once escaped from but now remember fondly. What makes this season feel different is the shift in how emotions are delivered. They're not shouted anymore. They linger.

The first volume, covering four episodes, is paced like a careful rebuild. It sets the stage slowly, reminding us what's at stake without rushing into spectacle. The editing plays a major role here, giving scenes enough silence and space to build tension properly. The transitions feel deliberate. Suspense gets time to breathe. And threats feel closer because the calm is never fully calm. It's mature storytelling that trusts the viewer.

Acting is where the show has visibly evolved. The younger cast no longer carries the innocence of Season 1. Their growth shows in subtle reactions, hesitation, trauma, and courage. Mike, played by Finn Wolfhard, still feels like the emotional anchor of the group's "human side," but even he is not the loud lead anymore. His journey in this volume is more internal, more observational, more buildup than payoff. Eleven, portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown, surprisingly gets restrained screen time in these episodes. Which is not a flaw, just a choice. Her power is present, but not central yet. This arc clearly belongs to someone else for now.

And that someone is Will. Noah Schnapp finally gets narrative weight this season, and his heroic moment at the end of Episode 4 genuinely lands like a gut-punch shift in hope. It instantly reminded fans of Thor's battlefield arrival energy from Avengers: Infinity War. When things looked lost, and one entrance changed the direction of the war. Will doesn't just fight back. He points forward. That's what makes the scene powerful. Not the scale, but the timing. Not the volume, but the impact.

BFX and VFX have reached their best synergy yet. The creatures look tactile, dimensional, physically threatening, and impressively textured, with a clear influence of Industrial Light & Magic's legacy-style visual discipline. CGI never becomes distracting here. It complements. The roots of horror still feel practical, real, shadow-heavy, and grounded. The sound design quietly contributes more than half the fear. Low hums, distant shocks, heavy atmosphere, and subtle 80s synth callbacks keep the world intact without overpowering the story. It's cinematic now, yes. But emotional first.

Knowing that this is the final season makes every beat feel heavier. Sweeter. Sadder. Proud. Scared. Attached. All at once. We are no longer just watching a story unravel. We are watching a shared childhood memory conclude.

Volume 1 doesn't resolve much yet, but it wasn't meant to. It rebuilds the heart so the ending can break it, if needed, earn it, for sure. And honestly? It already feels like the quiet before a storm that will actually hurt...